Vehicle spot checks drive new load safety campaign

NORTH-WEST: Spot checks on hundreds of vehicles will take place in the coming weeks in support of a new drive to ensure that loads are being transported securely.

The Health and Safety Executive's new load safety campaign is focused on reducing the number of death and injuries linked to workplace transport.

Loading and unloading accounts for one in five workplace transport incidents – many resulting from loads not being properly restrained. Unsafe loads on vehicles injure more than 1200 people a year and cost UK businesses millions of pounds in damaged goods.

There will be eight days of spot checks at locations across the North West, with officers from HSE and the Vehicle Operator Services Agency (VOSA) inspecting the loads of vehicles that have been pulled over at random.

Similar spot checks took place in April last year with close to 80% of loads found not to be sufficiently restrained. Drivers/businesses who are found to have unsafe loads face fines or even risk having their vehicle ordered off the road.